The West African Gas Pipeline is about to undergo a maintenance programme, but operators now have a little more time to prepare.
West African Gas Pipeline Company Limited (WAPCo) has postponed the start of the work from August 28 to September 7, 2026, citing the availability of specialised offshore vessels and personnel required for the operation. The maintenance is still expected to last 15 days, with the scope of work unchanged.
The Pipeline Connecting West Africa
The West African Gas Pipeline (WAGP) is one of West Africa's most important cross-border energy systems. The 678-kilometre pipeline begins at Itoki in Nigeria, connects to the country's existing gas network and runs offshore along the coast toward Takoradi in Ghana, with laterals supplying gas to Benin, Togo and Ghana.
Its purpose is straightforward but significant: move Nigerian natural gas into neighbouring markets, particularly for electricity generation and industrial use. The system has a potential capacity of around 474 million standard cubic feet per day, and WAPCo estimates that its gas supply can support roughly 2,500–3,000 MW of power generation. About 85% of the gas transported through the network is used for power generation.
Much of the main pipeline sits offshore, making some inspection and repair activities dependent on specialised marine equipment. That is particularly relevant to the latest delay.
A Maintenance Window With Regional Consequences
The upcoming work is spread across several parts of the network rather than being a single repair. In Togo, engineers are expected to replace a subsea valve on the Lomé lateral and carry out inspection work. In Benin, the programme includes internal inspection of the Cotonou lateral, while work in Nigeria will include valve replacements at Itoki and the Lagos Beach Compressor Station, alongside the installation of a new NGIC metering system at Itoki.
The fact that the work requires specialised offshore vessels is what has pushed the schedule back. WAPCo says the vessels and technical personnel are still completing another project, making September 7 the new starting date.
For the countries receiving Nigerian gas, however, the maintenance is more than an operational matter.
Togo's electricity utility, CEET, has warned that the interruption could affect thermal power generation because some of its plants depend on WAGP gas. The utility has been preparing to use more expensive liquid fuels where necessary to limit the effect on electricity supply. Benin is also expected to feel the impact of the temporary interruption.
Ghana has somewhat more flexibility because of the configuration of its gas network and the ability to receive supplies from other directions, but reduced Nigerian flows can still tighten the regional gas balance.
Why the Shutdown Matters
There is an important lesson behind the disruption.
The WAGP was built to make West Africa's energy systems more interconnected. Today, that connectivity means a maintenance programme in one part of the network can require utilities and industries across national borders to adjust their operations.
That is not necessarily a sign of a weak pipeline. In fact, planned maintenance is essential to keeping ageing infrastructure safe and reliable. Inspections, valve replacements and other interventions allow operators to identify problems before they become failures.
The challenge is ensuring that regional energy systems have enough flexibility to absorb these planned interruptions.
As West Africa looks to expand gas-fired power generation and cross-border energy trade, the WAGP experience highlights an increasingly important question: how do you build a regional energy network that is connected enough to share resources, but resilient enough to keep working when one part needs to stop?
For now, the September 7 postponement gives affected countries a little more breathing room. But when the valves close and the gas flow falls, the region will get another reminder of just how much of its energy system now depends on this 678-kilometre corridor.
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